Strategy game

ABSTRACT

A game having page pieces and a game surface including game piece receiving members. Each of the first set of game pieces also includes a solution position and non-solution positions in which the game surface-engaging member is mated with one of the plurality of game piece receiving members. When a game piece is in a solution position it exhibits an indication, such as sitting lower with respect to the game surface or illuminating a light, which visually distinguishes the game piece from at least some of the game pieces which are in the non-solution position. Aside from the visual indication, each game piece is visually indistinguishable from all other game pieces for each game player when the game pieces are located on the game surface in an upright position.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/938,893 filed on May 18, 2007, which is incorporated herein byreference as if fully set forth. U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,011, issued Aug.10, 2004, is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention comprises a game having a game surface including aplurality of game piece receiving members. The game also includes afirst set of game pieces, each of the first set of game pieces having abase and a game surface-engaging member located on the base. Each of thefirst set of game pieces also includes at least one solution position inwhich the game surface-engaging member is mated with one of theplurality of game piece receiving members and at least one non-solutionposition in which the game surface-engaging member is mated with one ofthe plurality of game piece receiving members. Each of the first set ofgame pieces that is in the at least one solution position exhibits avisual indication which distinguishes that game piece from at least oneother of the first set of game pieces which is in the at least onenon-solution position. In addition, aside from the visual indication,each of the first set of game pieces is visually indistinguishable fromall others of the of the first set of game pieces when each of the gamesurface-engaging members of the first set of game pieces is engaged withone of the game piece receiving members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of theinvention will be better understood when read in conjunction with theappended drawings. For purposes of illustrating the invention, drawingsdepict the embodiments which are presently preferred. It is understood,however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentality shown in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a first embodiment of a game board according tothe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of a game piece used in this embodiment;

FIG. 4 shows sections taken through the center of a number of gamepieces;

FIG. 5 shows a player's view of a second embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing more detail of the board and gamepieces;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing possible shading of the sides ofgame pieces;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing possible shading of the tops ofgame pieces;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of an insert/disc assembly of a thirdembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view through the centers of the insertshown in FIG. 9 and a sphere in which the insert interacts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention comprises the concept of a strategy gamecomprising game pieces that can be moved into different positions on agame board and have one or more “solution positions,” which are visuallydistinguishable from “non-solution positions.” The games of the presentinvention can be single or multiple player games. Each player'srespective game pieces are preferably visually identical to each otheron surfaces that are visible to the player during game play, when thepieces are on a non-solution position.

Each player's game pieces provide a visual indication that a particularpiece is in a potential solution position—i.e., by sitting higher orlower on the game board, or by illuminating the game piece. Preferably,each game piece will provide the visual indication in both the solutionposition and some non-solution positions (hereinafter “ambiguouspositions,” which are a subset of the non-solution positions for eachgame piece). Therefore, the only way for a player to confirm that a gamepiece is a solution position is when all of the game pieces aresimultaneously providing the visual indication that they are in apotential solution position.

FIGS. 1 & 2 show a first embodiment of a game 10 of the presentinvention. In this embodiment a rectangular board 12 has depth to allowreception of the game piece 26 shown in FIG. 3 and to be described ingreater detail herein. In this embodiment, two rows of five equallyspaced holes are provided, all having the same diameter as the firsthole 14. Each hole includes a cylindrical peg centered therein. Theholes in each row each include a peg having a different diameter. Inthis embodiment, the pegs 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 in each row have decreasingdiameters from left to right (as oriented in FIG. 1).

FIG. 3 shows a game piece 26 for use with the game 10. Game piece 26 hasa generally circular base 28 and profiled body, a shaped upper portion30, shown in this embodiment as spherical, and a height great enough toallow easy grasp by a player. The upper portion shape 30 could be any ofmany other shapes conducive to manual manipulation by the game 10player.

Referring to FIG. 4, cross-sectional views of the five nearly identicalgame pieces 26-26D, chosen to illustrate this embodiment, are shown.Each of the game pieces 26-26D has a similar base and profile shape 28,upper shaped portion 30 and height. Each game piece 26-26D isdifferentiated from the others by the diameter of the holes 32-40 in thebase 28. The holes 32-40 are progressively smaller in diameter as shownand fit closely on the pegs 16-24 in the board 12 shown in FIG. 2.Therefore, each game piece hole 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 has a “matching” peg16, 18, 20, 22, 24—i.e., a peg 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 that is slightlysmaller than the hole 32, 34, 36, 38, 40. Hole 32 matches with peg 16,hole 34 matches with peg 18, and so on. In accordance with the presentinvention, the game pieces 26-26D are indistinguishable from each other,except for a portion that is not visible when the game 10 is beingplayed properly (i.e., not inverting the pieces 26-26D during play).

The components of game 10 shown in FIGS. 1-4 could be fabricated fromwood or machined from common metals, but the board 12 and game pieces26-26D are preferably made from a polymer, such as polyethylene orpolycarbonate, which can be injection molded to provide the precision,as molded, detail required.

Game 10 is, in this embodiment, a game played between two players whoalternate moves of game pieces 26-26D (each player's pieces being thesame color, but different from the color of the other player's pieces)until one player has his or her respective game piece holes 32, 34, 36,38, 40 positioned on its matching peg 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 (this will bereferred to herein a “solution position”). A player can tell if all ofthe game pieces 26-26D are in the solution position if none of the fivegame pieces 26-26D is elevated—meaning that its respective hole 32, 34,36, 38, 40 doesn't slide over the peg 16, 18, 20, 22, 24. If a gamepiece 26-26D is elevated on the board 12, the piece 26-26D is situatedon top of a peg 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 that is larger than the hole 32, 34,36, 38, 40 on the bottom of the game piece 26-26D. If a game piece26-26D is leveled (i.e., not elevated), it is either in the solutionposition or situated on a peg 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 that is smaller thanits hole 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 (ambiguous/potential solution position).

Typically, the game pieces 26-26D would be placed randomly on the board.There are many different configurations that could be used to start agame and many different variations of rules for playing the game. Forexample, the game could be started by randomly positioning the gamepieces 26-26D three of the same and two opposing colors in alternatingarray, on the board 12 such that a player has only two of their owncolor on their side of the board. A player's turn allows switching ofone of their own game pieces 26 with another of their own or theopponent's without moving the opponent's piece 26 to the player's sideof the board 12. In this embodiment the game is solved or won when allof a player's game pieces 26-26D are correctly positioned to fit on thepegs 16-24 in the board 12. Thus all game pieces 26-26D are fullyrecessed into the holes 14 of the board 12. If the player who startedthe game 10 finishes first, the opponent may have one more move to tie.The game 10 also finishes in a tie also if the last exchange of gamepieces 26 makes both sides positioned correctly.

FIGS. 5-8 illustrate an embodiment of another game 110 that may involvevisually identical or indistinguishable playing pieces 126 dependingupon the desired level of difficulty and the intentions of the inventor.FIG. 5 is a player's view of the game 110. For this embodiment, a fourby four array of game pieces 126 is shown in position on the board 112with all sixteen game pieces a single color. Two game pieces 126A, 126Bare shown in a raised position which will be explained below. The numberof game piece positions on the board 112 equals the number of gamepieces 126 utilized.

In FIG. 6, two game pieces 126 are removed from the board 112 to showdiffering peg patterns 116, 118 in the board 12 and hole patterns 132,134 in the game pieces 126C, 126D. The hole patterns 132, 134 in thegame pieces 126C, 126D are different, but match and fit into the pegpatterns 116, 118 respectively in the board 112. The game pieces 126have a square, equal side length, base which allows any game piece 126to rest in four positions rotationally on the board 112. The differingpeg patterns 116, 118 enable two visually distinguishable positions ofan individual game piece on the board 112. Specific game pieces 126A,126B are shown in the “up” position (indicating a non-solution position)while all others 126 are shown in the “down” (indicating a solutionposition or an ambiguous position).

In this embodiment, for a specific game piece 126 in a board 112location with a compatible peg pattern 116, 118 there is only one “down”position, but three possible “up” positions depending upon itsrotational orientation. If the game piece 126 is positioned in alocation with an incompatible peg pattern 116, 118 all four possiblerotational positions will result in the game piece in the “up” position.In other embodiments, a specific game piece could have more than onecompatible peg pattern, which would decrease the level of difficulty.

The single color game pieces 126 shown in FIG. 5 illustrate a singleplayer version of the game 110. To begin the game the game pieces 126are randomly located on the board 112. For a move the player eitherexchanges location between two game pieces 126 or changes the rotationalposition of a game piece 126. The movement of game pieces 126 continuesuntil all of the pieces 126 are a solution position. A player is notallowed to look at the bottom of game pieces during play. The objectwould be to reach the solution position with all game pieces 126 in theshortest time or with the fewest number of moves. Typically reaching arapid solution requires the player to remember peg pattern 116, 118locations as well as game piece 126 hole patterns 132, 134 rather thanmaking random moves.

The level of difficulty of game 110 can be increased depending upon anumber of variables. For instance, this embodiment has been described asutilizing a board 112 with two distinct peg patterns 116,118. It can beunderstood that the solution difficulty increases if the number of pegpatterns 116,118 were to increase. Also increasing the size of the board112 and the corresponding number of game pieces 126 required could havea similar result.

The details and fit required between the board 112 and the game pieces126 would likely result in these parts being manufactured as moldedpolymer parts. As in the first embodiment, a polymer such aspolyethylene or polycarbonate could preferably be used in an injectionmolding process to economically produce large volumes of consistent,precision parts. The size of game pieces 126 and board 112 is chosen tobe appropriate for the intended end use, i.e. pocket or table use, andto provide for ease of player manipulation of the pieces 126.

FIGS. 7 & 8 illustrate some example variations that can provide otherembodiments of the game 110. FIG. 7 shows game pieces 126 with one sidein a different color. Game pieces 126 colored in this way could be usedto indicate hole pattern 132, 134 orientation and aid the player inmaking moves toward a solution.

FIG. 8 shows game pieces 126 with a colored top surface. Splitting thegame pieces 126 into two groups using the differentiating top colorswould allow two players to participate competitively. As in the originalembodiment, the number of peg patterns 116, 118 in the board 112 andcorresponding hole pattern 132, 134 in the game pieces 126 could bevaried to provide a desired difficulty level.

One way the two player game 110 could start would be with half of eachcolor of game piece 126 distributed over the respective player's side ofthe board. Each individual player's turn would involve the rotating inplace or exchange of game pieces 126 between two positions. Again aplayer may not move an opponent3 s game piece 126 away from its side ofthe board 112. The alternating repositioning of game pieces 126 wouldcontinue until one player has all their game pieces 126 in the solutionposition. The starting positions and/or move rules could be changed toprovide variations of the game 110 utilizing the same board 112 and gamepieces 126.

FIGS. 9 & 10 show a third embodiment of the present invention, whichcomprises a game that is an improvement of the puzzle disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 6,773,011. FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the pieces of aninsert 232 that, together with other revised components of the puzzledisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,011, comprise the game 210. Game 210utilizes visually identical or indistinguishable playing pieces/inserts232 that must be relocated by movement or rotation into a correctposition in order to arrive at a solution. Insert 232 and like inserts(not shown) are mechanically interchangeable with inserts 32-34disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,011 and the new game 210 components aremechanically identical to the corresponding components in the referencedpuzzle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,011 except as otherwisedisclosed herein.

In FIG. 9, the insert 232 is shown comprised of an upper surface/dischalf 274, LED/printed circuit board 282 with a light emitting diode 284(“LED”) and lower surface/disc half 276. The upper surface 274 and lowersurface 276 are preferably made of a polymer such as polyethylene orpolycarbonate. The LED/printed circuit board 282 is preferably made withflexible circuit board material with the LED 284 attached to the topside and the contacts 286, 290 protruding from the bottom of the boardjust enough to allow electrical continuity with the contacts 288, 292embedded in the lower surface 276.

The upper and lower surfaces 274, 276 are snapped, adhered or otherwisemechanically fastened to each other to form the complete insert 232which is spherical and symmetrically shaped. LED/printed circuit board282 is located by the LED 284 cover and retained mechanically by beingsandwiched in place between the upper and lower surfaces 274, 276.

FIG. 10 is a cross-section of a sphere/element 218 and the insert 232described above. The sphere/element 218 is mechanically identical tospheres 18, 20, 22, 24 disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,011 and inserts232 are used in place of inserts 32-34, but both have functionalmodifications that have been or will be described. There are fourdistinct locations for the versions of the contact 292 in insert 232which correspond to four versions of the sphere/element 218. Referringto FIGS. 9 and 10, contact 292 aligns with contact 296 labeled 2 in therecess 226 of the sphere/element 218. The contacts in the other threerecesses of sphere 218 are in the same location, thus the sphere 218shown is dedicated to position 2. In the other three versions, eachdedicated to one of the contact positions 1, 3 or 4, the contact on thelower surface of the respective insert would align with the contactpositions labeled 1, 3 or 4. In this way, the insert's LED would onlyhave continuity to the contact in the sphere/element when positioned inthe correct recess. Each of the four sphere/elements is dedicated to asingular insert contact configuration.

The contact 288 centered in the lower surface 276 of the insert 232 isthe LED 284 ground connection. It provides continuity through groundcontact 294 centered in the recess 226 of the sphere/element 218 andwith the ground connections similarly located in each sphere/element 218recess 226, 230. This circuit connects to a power source, not shown,contained within the sphere/element 218. The power source is preferablya small dry cell battery contained within the sphere 218. Each distinctrecesses 226 contact 296, labeled as 1, 2, 3 or 4 also connects with thebattery power source, not shown. Thus when any insert 232 is positionedin the recess 226 with an aligned contact 296, the LED 284 haselectrical continuity with the power source and will light.

The sphere/element 218 is preferably made of a polymer such aspolyethylene or polycarbonate with the imbedded contacts 296 beingcircular to enable continuity with the lower surface contacts 292 in anyrotational position of insert 232.

This embodiment of game 210 differs from the previously disclosed puzzlein that four sphere/elements 218 and three similar others, replace thesphere/elements 18, 20, 22, 24. Insert 232 and two similar othersreplace the inserts 32, 34, 36. The mechanical manipulations necessaryto play the game 210 are the same, but the asymmetrical nature of theinserts 232 results in two passes being required to return the LED 284to an outward facing position.

After randomly positioning the inserts 232, the player moves them byrotation or passing them between sphere/elements 218 until all LEDs 284are illuminated (solution position). Thus the solution/game object islighted LEDs rather than a color pattern such as a single color on eachside of the case. For increased game solution difficulty or variety theLEDs could be different colors and/or the contacts in the sphere/elementrecesses could be scrambled. In addition, the electrical contacts 288,292 could be configured to illuminate the LED 284 on a particular insert232 when the insert is not in a solution position (ambiguous/potentialsolution position).

While the principles of the invention have been described above inconnection with preferred embodiments, it is to be clearly understoodthat this description is made only by way of example and not as alimitation of the scope of the invention.

1. A game comprising: a game surface including a plurality of game piecereceiving members; and a first set of game pieces, each of the first setof game pieces having: a base; a game surface-engaging member located onthe base; at least one solution position in which the gamesurface-engaging member is mated with one of the plurality of game piecereceiving members; at least one non-solution position in which the gamesurface-engaging member is mated with one of the plurality of game piecereceiving members; wherein each of the first set of game pieces that isin the at least one solution position exhibits a visual indication whichdistinguishes that game piece from at least one other of the first setof game pieces which is in the at least one non-solution position;wherein, aside from the visual indication, each of the first set of gamepieces is visually indistinguishable from all others of the of the firstset of game pieces when each of the game surface-engaging members of thefirst set of game pieces is engaged with one of the game piece receivingmembers.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one solutionposition consists of one solution position.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the visual indication comprises a different height at which theassociated one of the first set of game pieces sits when with respect tothe game surface when the game surface-engaging member is engaged withone of the game piece receiving members.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3,wherein each of the first set of game pieces that is in the at least onesolution position sits lower with respect to the game surface than atleast one of the first set of game pieces that is in the at least onenon-solution position.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visualindication comprises a light.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein thelight is illuminated when the associated one of the first set of gamepieces is in the at least one solution position and is not illuminatedwhen the associated one of the first set of game pieces is in at leastone of the at least one non-solution position.
 7. The apparatus of claim5, wherein the game surface-engaging members and the game piece-engagingmembers each include at least one electrical contact.
 8. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein each of the game surface-engaging members comprisesat least one hole and each of the game piece-engaging members comprisesat least one projection.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each ofthe first set of game pieces has at least one ambiguous position inwhich the game piece exhibits the visual indication when the game pieceis located at least one of the at least one non-solution position. 10.The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second set of gamepieces, each of the second set of game pieces having: a second set ofgame pieces, each of the second set of game pieces having: a base; agame surface-engaging member located on the base; at least one solutionposition in which the game surface-engaging member is mated with one ofthe plurality of game piece receiving members; at least one non-solutionposition in which the game surface-engaging member is mated with one ofthe plurality of game piece receiving members; wherein one the secondset of game pieces which is in the at least one solution positionexhibits a visual indication which distinguishes that game piece from atleast one other of the second set of game pieces which is in the atleast one non-solution position; wherein, aside from the visualindication, each of the second set of game pieces is visuallyindistinguishable from all others of the of the second set of gamepieces when each of the game surface-engaging members of the second setof game pieces is engaged with one of the game piece receiving members.